The Asian-American announcer has the same name as the confederate general whose statue was at the heart of the alt-right protest in Charlottesville, Va., that later erupted into violence that left a woman dead.

Lee was slated to call the upcoming University of Virginia football team's season opener, but has since been reassigned after the network felt he would be subjected to ridicule.

"We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name,” ESPN said in a statement.

"In that moment it felt right to all parties," the network added. "It's a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play-by-play for a football game has become an issue."

ESPN emphasizes that the network didn't force Lee to switch assignments and that he felt more comfortable calling another game.

Lee will instead appear on the Youngstown-Pitt broadcast on the same day as the UVA’s opener against the William & Mary Tribe.

The network came under fire on social media from fans, political pundits and Twitter-happy politicians like former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.